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Violinist Stanley Chepaitis finds electric chemistry between jazz and classical music on new album(Published: July 13, 2011)

July 13, 2011 (Indiana, PA) Written by Robert Sutton. Violinist Stanley Chepaitis lives in the middle of two worlds, existing between the baroque architecture of classical music and the beat frenzy of jazz.

On his new album Double Take, Chepaitis explores them simultaneously, which is what inspired the title and clever album cover. However, the name of the record could also describe the electric chemistry between Chepaitis and his bassist Nathan Santos as many of the album's highlights involve both of them.

Chepaitis' firm command of the violin is immediately apparent on the first track, which is his rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Allemande." Chepaitis' dramatic, swirling violin pierces the air with intensity and passion.

On songs such as "Be Bop Courant" and "Jazz Saraband," both original compositions, Chepaitis starts to link his twin obsessions. Part of this is due to Santos' contributions; he provides the jazzy undertow to Chepaitis' classical turns. On "Be Bop Courant," Chepaitis delivers a scorching performance. The fiery power of Chepaitis' violin playing is breathtaking while Santos' bass thumps like a heartbeat. They're quite a duo. "Jazz Saraband" finds Santos offering deep, hypnotic bass lines while Chepaitis' violin shimmers like the summer sun.

Among the best cuts on the record is "Latin Jig," another Chepaitis original. Here Chepaitis' soaring violin produces sparks with Santos' pulsating bass. The energy is infectious and emotionally uplifting, just like most of this stunner of an album.